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I’ve had so many readers asking recently about castor oil, so today we have some chemistry secrets to share with you!
Everyone wants to know what does castor oil really do for skin?
Believe it or not, the chemistry of castor oil is incredibly unique compared to all other vegetable oils. And here on Chemistry Cachet, we love to share with you the truth about these subjects, so you know exactly what to use and how.
Castor oil has been used for decades because it has so many benefits for your skin among other things!
PIN THIS: What Does Castor Oil REALLY Do for Skin?
Castor oil comes from castor beans. The oil is extracted similar to other oils. Usually the oil is cold-pressed, but sometimes it is chemically extracted. Always make sure to buy cold-pressed oils to avoid any added chemicals!
One of my favorites things to do as a chemist is research old chemical articles about modern subjects!
I read an interesting article published in 1941 all about castor oil! According to their research, in 1939, so many castor beans were brought into the country, they were able to extract 73 million pounds of oil. That is how popular castor oil was even back then!
Unique Chemistry of Castor Oil
The key chemical that makes castor oil so unique is ricinoleic acid. This acid gives castor oil uniqueness that you don’t see in other vegetable oils.
First, it creates a totally different viscosity, which is much higher than most oils. It also effects the solubility. Castor oil is more soluble in solvents, meaning it will dissolve easier in things like alcohol. If you think about other vegetable oils, they do not dissolve in anything!
This makes castor oil a fantastic skincare option!
With the physical and chemical properties of the ricinoleic acid, castor oil can benefit a wide range of skincare issues.
What to Use Castor Oil for on Skin
The list is endless, but here are the most common benefits of castor oil for skin.
Skin Anti-Inflammatory
With all these chemical properties of castor oil, it is fantastic for soothing inflamed skin. All you have to do is dab a small amount onto area.
Remember a little goes a long way!
Moisturizer
Those that have extreme dry skin know how hard it is to heal. Most lotions and creams can’t penetrate the epidermis barrier, so it is hard to treat.
Castor oil is amazing for this though! The ricinoleic acid allows for the oil to penetrate the skin and heal really dry areas.
You can use this straight or add a few drops to your regular cream. I would recommend using this on the body and just dab onto areas on the face (not all over face).
Stretch Marks
Since castor oil is such a great moisturizer, it really helps prevent stretch marks. Since I am pregnant right now, I use castor oil mixed with almond oil to prevent any stretch marks.
It does a great job healing and moisturizing dry, stretched skin.
Acne and Acne Scars
People who suffer from acne really struggle finding moisturizers that don’t make them break out. Castor oil is great for acne and even helps fad acne scars. With the high acid content, it doesn’t bother acne prone skin. You don’t need to use it all the time just once a week or so. If you’re worried about hair growth, just keep in mind it typically only works for hair on head as well as eyelashes. Just use it occasionally for face 🙂
Castor oil is also an anti-microbial, so it can help with further breakouts.
If you have active breakouts, remember to read these chemist tips on tea tree oil.
Using Castor Oil For Hair Growth
Thanks to the high ricinoleic acid (which as you can see, is the main reason for all these benefits) can help with scalp stimulation, dandruff, and other hair follicle issues.
How to Use Castor Oil for Hair Growth:
You can apply a small amount of oil all over roots and leave overnight. If you do, make sure to use a shower cap or something to protect your pillow.
Wash out in the morning. Remember to use a small amount because it can be hard to rinse out.
You can also do a hot oil treatment. Add a few tablespoons to a small bowl, then heat the oil up in a large bowl of hot water. Dampen hair slightly, then apply oil to roots. Leave on for an hour, then wash out.
Using it 2 times per week is usually enough to get benefits.\
For Eyelash Growth:
I use this nightly for my eyelashes! Just use a Q-tip to apply along lashes and lash line. You can also use an eyelash wand to do this. Do this right before bed, and you will notice growth in a few weeks. It has really helped thicken my lashes!
What Brand to Buy
My readers always want to know what brand I recommend for items. There are so many bad brands out there, and many are good, but they are overpriced.
You don’t need to buy anything too expensive. This brand is what I use and recommend. It is cold-pressed which is always important when dealing with plant oils. It is also pure castor oil, not mixed with anything else.
Castor Oil Historically
Back in the early 1900s, castor oil was very popular for skin issues, but also to ingest. It was given to people as a laxative!
The taste was so bad, it was typically mixed with something before drinking.
It can still be used for that today, but it is much more effective for skin treatments 🙂
As you’ve probably noticed, I like to give a background into ingredients I enjoy using. You can see some fun things coming to Chemistry Cachet soon involving castor oil for your skin! Be sure to stay tuned!
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Happy Monday… this is great info on castor oil. Do you think castor oil would be better than almond oil for dry skin esp during winter? My first thoughts about castor oil was the laxative use (and fabled nasty taste) and that the deadly toxin/poison ricin was made from castor beans. Thanks for enlightening me…
Thanks Laurie! I use both for dry skin, they both work well, but so differently. Castor oil is more thick and does a good job of penetrating skin. Almond oil would probably still be the better choice for regular dry skin on face. Castor oil is going to be more heavy duty for like chapped skin. But I like to use both 🙂
This is such good information! I had no idea why castor oil was used or even what kind to buy. I have learned so much!
Thank you! It really is a neat substance and does so many awesome things!
Alexis,
I am NOT a chemist, so please tell me
how Ricinoleic Acid in Castor Oil differ from “Ricin,” the very deadly poison often used by sinister international spies? What makes it toxic or non-toxic?
They are two different substances. Ricinoleic acid is found in the oil. When the oil is pressed from the castor bean, the result is pure castor oil which main component is the fatty acid ricinoleic acid. Ricin is derived from the castor bean pulp leftover. It is found in very small doses (almost microscopic amounts), so it takes an incredible amount of castor bean pulp to get enough ricin to actually be toxic.
I’ve seen some videos where women put it on their scalp and didn’t know they were allergic to it. What would you say is the reason for this, and why has it been referred to as abortion inducing?
Some people have sensitive skin, so they may have an allergic reaction. I haven’t known anyone to have an issue with it, but as with anything, it is possible. It could be the natural acids or even vitamins someone has a sensitivity too. I have never known for it to be used as abortion inducing. A friend of mine sees a midwife right now for her pregnancy and it was prescribed to her for constipation in her 3rd trimester. It was originally used for digestive health back in the early 1900s.
So, use as a moisturizer, but also for hair growth. Hmmm, will I grow a beard?
I’ve never heard of it impacting facial hair, but I always recommend to dab into certain areas of the face, not an overall application. For hair growth on head and eyelashes, it takes awhile to work and needs constant application. 🙂
I have lost where you recommend the products you use, i.e., orange and rose essential oils. Also, I remember reading about using baking soda and vinegar to clear slow drains, but I can’t find that again. Will you please help me.
There are various places throughout with different products. The information about the rose and orange oils are in this post about air freshener. I don’t use baking soda and vinegar for drains, but I do use other methods. You can find almost all of my DIY cleaning tips in this cleaning guide. You can also just click on the tabs above under cleaning and all the posts are listed there for you to check out 🙂 Hope this helps!
Nature of my skin is dry and castor oil can be helpful to take its best care. I would like to use it by following your direction. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hey, I was curious as I’ve had a fairly strong reaction to something recently. I’ve used a few different products (Jojoba, rosehip, almond, and castor oil and from fairly reputable brands advertising organic, cold pressed no additives) along with essential oils (lavender 4 drops and Tea Tree 2 drops to 2 tsp of the above carriers). Something caused my skin to dry out in an extreme way. Dry to the point of flaking/peeling within 36 hours which I have now cleared up with the end result being, it seems I’ve stopped all production of oil in my face from the heavy moisturizing oils I’ve been using heavily for the past week to help it heal. It was so dry the skin would flake off and either the first event was so bad, or the continued dryness got to the point that the skin actually became somewhat raw and sensitive. I have a somewhat short beard (3/4″ or so) which made dealing with all of this a much larger pain as I didn’t want to shave and I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to, without possibly losing half my face at that point. I basically ended up using coconut oil heavily so that I had to see that it was still on under my beard or I’d apply more to keep the skin moisturized enough to stay long enough to allow it to heal properly. I used a very light (1% or less) mix of lavender with it to try to assist as I wasn’t sure it wasn’t the culprit from the start(although I’ve used it before without such effects but know that is far from proof and could actually be cause for a reaction like this maybe). I really feel like the castor is responsible though. The brand of this oil is Nature’s Oil which is different from the others I have. Not sure if its castor or this brand and I’m just wondering if you have any information that castor oil actually DOES do this to some people for x reason etc… Wish I had been more myself in using these things as I’m normally much more careful and like to observe the results or lack of with regard to all the other variables at play and make more informed decisions based on what I learned… but I don’t think I want to try again with just castor oil as a test…
Tea tree oil is very drying. I only use a dot on a blemish from time to time. Otherwise, it will really dry out your skin. Shea butter is really good for dry skin too
Never use essential oils on skin as it can be very irritating either instantly or in the long run with continuous use.